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Hurricane Celia (2017)
|category = |type = Category 2 hurricane (SSHS)|image location = Celia 2016-07-11 2205Z.jpg|image caption = Celia at peak intensity before becoming extra-tropical.|formed = April 21|dissipated = April 30|accumulated cyclone energy = |highest winds = 100|wind type = mph|lowest pressure = 973 mbar|damages = $100 million (2017 USD)|direct fatalities = 1|indirect fatalities = 0|missing = 0|areas affected = Michigan Peninsula|hurricane season = 2017 Lake Superior hurricane season}} Hurricane Celia was a moderately strong hurricane that formed in late-April of 2017. Celia was the strongest pre-season storm on record in the Lake Superior basin. Upon formation, Celia was the third named storm of the 2017 Lake Superior hurricane season. Celia later became the first hurricane of the season. Meteorological history On April 18, the Great Lakes Hurricane Center noted that a tropical disturbance was forming near the Apostle Islands, just 45 miles NNE of Ashland, Wisconsin. The storm began to slowly move east, strengthening steadily. On April 20, the storm was declared as Invest 93S. The invest strengthened rapidly over the next day. On April 21, the a Great Lakes Hurricane Hunter reconnaissance flight proved that the invest had become a tropical depression. The tropical depression was designated as 03S. Tropical Depression 03S quickly began to strengthen as the day moved on. Over the next three days, the storm struggled to strengthen. Finally, on April 25, Three became a tropical storm and was designated as Celia. Tropical Storm Celia moved in a path directly towards Keweenaw County, Michigan. Celia became much stronger as it approached the coast of Keweenaw County. A reconnaissance flight recorded sustained winds of 75 mph in the eyewall of Celia, allowing the storm to be upgraded to hurricane status. On April 28, Celia began to strengthen as it moved over the eastern portion of Lake Superior. Hurricane Celia became a Category 2 hurricane on April 29, just two days before the season actually started. The strengthening would not last long as Celia began to become extratropical, which allowed the system to weaken back into a Category 1 hurricane. On April 30, Celia became extratropical, with its remnants hitting several islands. Impacts and preparations Michigan On April 26, Tropical Storm Celia began to move in a path directly towards Keweenaw County, Michigan. Evacuations took place due to the storm there, and in the county below, Houghton County. The county officials of both counties prompted evacuations due to the "uncertainty of the storm's intensity at landfall". On April 27, rainfall from the bands of Celia caused flooding. The outer bands of Tropical Storm Celia also contributed to one fatality near the city of Houghton. The village of Chassell picked up 17.8" of rain. This was nearly a record for the Michigan Peninsula in terms of flooding. The only storms that caused more flooding were Hurricane Dawn, Hurricane Kenneth, and the White Hurricane of 1913. On April 28, Celia moved out of the area. Flooding and winds caused more than $98.9 million in damages in Michigan. Elsewhere The extra-tropical remnants of Celia struck several small islands near the coast of Ontario, causing about $1.1 million in damages. No fatalities occurred. Aftermath In Michigan, the Red Cross set up shelters across Houghton, Dollar Bay, Lauriam, Copper Harbor, and Eagle Harbor. In July 2017, the Great Lakes Hurricane Center set up a poll to retire names. Celia was on the list, along with Eva, Fred, and Herbert. Celia was not retired but the latter three were. Celia will be returning to the list in 2023. Category:2017 Lake Superior hurricane season Category:Hurricanes in Lake Superior Category:Past Events Category:Past Hurricanes Category:Events in the 2010s Category:Category 2 hurricanes Category:Pre-season storms